Cricket’s not our only passion
chennai, January 8, 2014
With more opportunities and new heroes to look up to, youngsters are keen on pursuing other sports besides just cricket.
AISHWARYA KUMAR
“Cricket is not just a game, it is a religion” this cliché best describes what the game means to our country. This has been the mantra in the hearts and minds of every youngster in India, be it in Mumbai or Madurai. Every kid has grown up admiring this game and the players it throws up.
But times are changing. From being fanatics of the game, youngsters are slowly being confident and zealous in other games. There was a time when cricket was their ‘everything’. But this scenario has changed. At this point, it would be apt to rephrase the cliché to “sports is my religion”. This change is good, this change is for the better, agree most.
With the glamour quotient in place over cricket in India, the development of other games was always tough. The kids are always inspired by the sports personalities who are prominent and this was almost always from the game of cricket. “I want to be Sachin Tendulkar,” “I want to be Dravid,” were common statements made by youngsters when asked about their ambitions and dreams.
Rising stars
It is hard to break this stereotype, but not impossible. Today’s youngsters are willing to dream beyond cricket and want to be involved with sports other than cricket because their passion is immense. With players like Aravindh Chithambaram, S.P. Sethuraman in chess, Sriram Balaji N., Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan in tennis, Derryl Munro in football, Venkatesh Shreyas, Rahil Noorani in motorsports, it can no longer be said that India concentrates and produces only high quality cricketers only.
Shivani Senthil, an internationally rated chess player (#1202) from Yuva Bharati School says, “My parents are the reason I took up chess in the first place. They wanted me to think and handle my opponents the same way like in chess. They have been supportive through my journey as a chess player,” when asked about her passion for it and her international chess career.
Full article here.
Indian chess is growing.
Indian chess is growing.
Indian chess is growing.
Indian chess is growing.